Richard Gordons Ouster
STATEMENT ON THE DUE CAUSES FOR THE REMOVAL OF RICHARD GORDON AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBIC BAY METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY (SBMA)
Press Conference at PREDA Center
Monday, July 13, 1998
Richard Gordon should be replaced as chairman of the SBMA for due cause. There are many ‘due causes’ why he should be replaced and prosecuted. Here are a few of them as compiled and documented by the PREDA Foundation, Inc.
1. Alleged incompetence and evidence of graft uncovered by the Commission On Audit and declared guilty by the Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption (PCAGC).
2. His alleged promotion of Olongapo as a sex tourist destination for military prostitution and his failure to act on evidence of child sexual abuse in Olongapo uncovered by the US investigators.
3. His alleged part in the violation of human and civil rights of NGO child care workers.
4. Allegations and evidence of using Government funded projects for personal or family benefit.
Background
The Preda Foundation, Inc. is an NGO working for the human and civil rights of women, children and youth in Olongapo for 24 years. The work of rescuing sexually exploited children from jails, brothels and from the streets and restoring them to a life of dignity has continually met opposition from the Government of Olongapo City led by the Gordon Family. The civil and human rights of Preda personnel have been violated with impunity for many years.
We are witnesses to the effect of the policies and practices of the Gordon Dynasty which has ruled this city for forty years almost without interruption and have controlled and politicized the SBMA since 1992.
Gordon has been declared guilty of graft by the Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption on evidence uncovered by the Commission On Audit showing that millions of pesos of government funds were squandered on useless and questionable purchases and much more were without receipts and unaccounted for. These documents are available from the Commission On Audit and the Preda Center.
Plunder At Subic
The Commission On Audit examination of the SBMA for October 1992 to December 1993 show that millions of pesos are unaccounted for. In the first three months of operation at the SBMA under Gordon, they claimed that they spent a whooping
Php 10,798,214.59 in 1992 and in 1993, Php 5,289,110.72 for vehicle operation.
Assume each vehicle uses an average of Php 2,000.00 a month for the three months, running non-stop for 12 hours a day. To consume that amount of fuel and oil you would need 1,783 vehicles at the SBMA.
In 1993, the consumption billed was half of 1992. Apparently, half of the 1,783 ghost vehicles of the SBMA stopped running or were sold off by 1993. But the SBMA did not have that number of vehicles. So how come there was such billings, according to COA reckoning the receipts submitted as fuel bills must have been fake? 15 million pesos of fake fuel bills? Where did the money go? The millions were supposedly spent on gasoline and motor oil according to the papers presented to the commission by Gordon.
So allegedly, according to the COA report, observers can only speculate that there was massive plundering from the very beginning of the chairmanship of Gordon that was greater than what happened at Clarke .In other words, what was protected at Subic was guarded for a select bunch of plunders. The fact that Gordon claims he and volunteers protected Subic could be a smoke screen perhaps for what really happened.
Only a real investigation in court will reveal the truth. However the COA report comments on missing funds that says many of the purchases were “without appropriate documents and adequate records”.
Other expenditures for 1992 were Php 1.7 million for various supplies, in 1993, they spent Php 9.2 million but not sufficient documentation to justify it and not enough physical supplies in the inventory. So where did it go? Mr. Gordon has a lot of answering to do.
15 million pesos was spent on a private helicopter for Chairman Gordon.
9 million pesos for ground maintenance for 1993-94 although there were, according to Gordon’s own claims, 8,000 volunteers unpaid doing this work. Someone got the money, not the poor of Olongapo.
20 million pesos was budgeted in 1993 for assorted weapons, guns, rifles shotguns, and side arms, enough to equip an small army and that included 10 units of sniper scopes costing Php 125,000. Where are they now?
85 million pesos for new vehicles alone in 1995.
16 million pesos for 2 air-conditioned bullet proof vehicles.
21 million pesos for 30 light “trucks” Mitsubishi L-200 diesel – 12 seater in fact, mini vans.
20 million pesos for 8 Fuso buses.
18 million pesos for 30 Nissan Lancer patrol cars.
9 million pesos for five Nissan Patrol pick-up vehicles.
85 million pesos total for new vehicles alone in 1995.
Driving around the SBMA, few of these can be found. So, where are they ? Only when the 388 vehicles listed as purchased from 1992 to the present are accounted for by external investigators will the truth of the missing vehicles be known. Gordon will not allow this as long as he is the Chairman. Is this what Gordon is hiding, or is the other more damaging evidence of wrongdoing waiting to be found?
Ghost Vehicles? Old Replace New Scam
Are the remains of the 388 vehicles bought from the US Navy in 1993 masquerading as new ones that were either never bought with the 85 million pesos or just disappeared?
Other purchases of used vehicles, including buses from a US bus line were made by the SBMA and dumped useless in the former Navy magazine area where they remain today. Only an external inventory will expose the truth of these allegations.
Leg Irons, Batons, Shackles, Body Armors
The security department ordered 200 pieces of batons for the police at Php 1,500 each. Riot shields at Php 15,000 each. Peerless leg irons (shackles) for prisoners. 1,800 pesos each. Human lock anklets (none available). Six night vision cameras at Php 120,000 each. Body Armors – 10 outfits Php 35,000 each. 10 hand held metal detectors – 15,000 pesos each. Five speed gun Php 60,000 each. Two walk through metal detectors Php 550,000 each. Everything allegedly overpriced.
Unpaid Labor
When the SBMA was using hundreds of unpaid “volunteers” who were barred from employment if they did not first give up to one year free labor, some had to cut the grass of investors with household scissors. The SBMA charged the government 9 million pesos annually for this maintenance work.
Cover Up Of Child Sex Abuse By Gordon?
Allegedly, according to strong documentary evidence found in US Navy archives, Richard Gordon, when mayor of Olongapo from 1982, allowed and encouraged, the growth of the most exploitative and dehumanizing sex industry that catered to the lustful and sexual appetites of the US Navy servicemen. The US Navy in its own undercover operations uncovered what we at Preda, already knew and fought against – the shameful sexual exploitation of children as young as 4 years old.
Evidence of the “Filipino Babies For Sex” scandal, was uncovered and documented by US Navy investigators and given to the local authorities including Mayor Richard Gordon. When he was given the reports and the names of the suspects, he did nothing instead he covered it up and presented himself as a paragon of virtue and a leader of youth.
This alleged failure to act on reported and documented heinous crimes against little children makes him a alleged accessory to the crimes. These documents are available to the media .
Threats And Harassment Against Social Workers
Because of the stand of the Preda Center against these syndicates who abuse children and protect accused child sex abusers, allegedly including relatives and political associates of Mr. Gordon, still before the courts, Preda workers have been threatened, harassed and vilified over the years.
Secret Intelligence Group Of Gordon
Documents show social workers have been put under surveillance by the intelligence unit of the SBMA spying on innocent people.
Building and other Permits routinely denied. Deportations and other charges made without evidence.
Arrest Warrant After TV Interview
On July 9, 1998 the day after Fr. Shay Cullen gave an interview to ABS-CBN, an arrest warrant was issued against Fr. Shay Cullen for Grave Oral Defamation. Who will speak to the media? This is evidence of harassment and the intimidation of the people threatening them if they dare to criticize the ruling dynasty.
Using Government Projects For Personal Benefit
The Gordon family allegedly used their political power and position to arrange with the National Power Corporation and Asian Development Bank to allegedly, personally benefit from the erection of an additional electrical power pylon at Kalaklan, so that dangerous electromagnetic cables would be diverted from Gordon Park, where they have valuable beach, while allegedly permitting the pylons and cables to pass close to the Preda Children’s Home.
Gordon Park Reclamation At Government Cost, Or Is It Public Land?
That same property – Gordon Park, is getting, allegedly for free, a massive tract of reclaimed land from the Olongapo City government headed by Kate Gordon. It ought to be clear that the reclaimed land is government property. This being the result of a Gordon decision to use a government funded de-silting project from Pinatubo in the Sta. Rita River to reclaim land for the Gordon’s at Gordon Park.
Human Rights Violations
Illegal Arrest and detention and mauling of Fr. Shay Cullen. The dynasty is allegedly part of the Human Rights violations, illegal arrest and detention and the double handcuffing and mauling of Fr. Shay Cullen and Lowell Maglaqui on June 13 ,1997 by ordering the police to dismantle the picket against the power lines without a court order. Charges against the police are being heard in a Quezon City court By Judge Generoso.
SBMA guards riddle fishermen with machine gun fire kills two.
Gordon’s bodyguard guns boy. A Young boy was shot point blank in the head at the Olongapo public market near the Olongapo police station before many witnesses allegedly, by Juanito Susi the bodyguard of Richard Gordon. Susi was acquitted by a Judge friendly to the Dynasty despite eye witness to the shooting and the absence of any other suspect.
Fr. Shay Cullen Attacked By Gordon Goons Outside SBMA
SBMA officials denied freedom of movement and passage to Fr. Shay Cullen inside the SBMA in November, 1996. Then as he left the gate, a gang of hoodlums led by Mike Pusing, the Public Relations Officer of Mayor Gordon, physically attacked and beat Fr. Shay along Magsaysay Drive, Olongapo City. A foreign reporter accompanying Fr. Cullen was threatened with harm.
Preda Foundation, Inc. NEWS/ARTICLES: “Richard Gordons Ouster
Tags: graft and corruption, olongapo city, plunder, richard gordon, scandal, social workers, subic bay metropolitan
this is not so true, I am from Olongapo and since i was a child, this priest has been mocking Gordon. If this is true, then why no body supports Shay? Senator Gordon can be investigated like what they are doing to other senators with issues like Villar, Lacson etc. I know this priest and i know how pathetic he is. He even claims that he’s helping out of school youth in our place, yet you have to pay for your son if you want to like enroll him on his program? Come on, not you again please. Shay, shame on you. You should have not become a priest after all.
You all need to look at the address of United Nations in Geneve….and write there.For his really taking advantage with our country and our people,while i see from the start since when i was in elementary school that theres somethings going on with him, His kind of smart to hide all of this things for he knows until he can get a lot of money abroad(And i can say a lot that he recieved) because he knows our government is not that good to protect our people.And he can used a lot of bait to get other strangers trapped on it.It’s kind of funny for me seeing him…pointing others while he is one like them too. Poor childrens…and poor people that he used like a victim.
thank you for enligthening me, if this is true, think of what he can do as president, he can be worst than Marcos and GMA combined.